Sensient In the News

News tagged with Beverages

Looking to add excitement to your latest food product development project? Tea and coffee, two of the most popular beverages around the world, are gaining popularity in the United States as ingredients in their own right.

Autumn is a time when a great variety of fruits are at their best – Sensient’s Seasonal Selection captures the authentic taste profiles of many popular Autumn-harvested fruits. The new range is ideal for creating seasonal and limited editions that target consumers during the colder months. Thanks to their deliciously comforting appeal, the flavors will also provide authentic fruit pleasures throughout the year. With the “forgotten fruit” flavors of rosehip, quince and sloeberry, for example, manufacturers can tap into the trend for nostalgic indulgence.

Sensient Flavors has developed new beverage concepts that it says respond to rising demand for food and drink that affects and balances our emotional states in a ‘gentle and natural’ way. Emphasizing that health and wellness benefits need not only be physical (or nutritional), the company believes that the emotional influence of foods and drinks is a key trend.

Flavour and fragrance manufacturer Sensient Flavors has developed four new product ranges in response to rising demand for products that influence and balance our emotional state in a gentle and natural way, that it claims will support drinks manufacturers in the creation of “mood balancing” products.

Key suppliers offer their thoughts on the trends to watch in the soft drinks sector. Where are the latest opportunities in functional beverages and which active ingredients should we be looking out for?

Health and wellness benefits are no longer simply a matter of physical nourishment; the emotional influence of foods and drinks is also an important consideration. Sensient Flavors is enabling its customers to capitalise on this trend with its new beverage concepts, which help manufacturers create "emotional drinks."

While the top mainstream flavors—orange and lemon-lime—continue to dominate the beverage market from year to year, there are cultural and consumer trends right now influencing beverage development and giving rise to new, innovative flavors. For instance, there is a large and growing multicultural population in the U.S. and flavors that cater to this multicultural consumer market are gaining popularity.

Remember when nothing said summer like sitting on Grandma’s porch and sipping a tall glass of ice-cold lemonade? The pure sourness and simple ingredients made taste buds dance. Yet, as millennials’ palates have evolved and have gotten more adventurous, the demand for bolder, spicier and exotic beverage flavors are filling grocery and liquor store shelves like never before.

When it comes to eating healthy, flavor is a vital concern for consumers. While nutrition is a top priority, they also won’t sacrifice on taste. Flavor remains a driving force within the nutraceuticals category—extending from functional food and beverages to gummies, chews, powders and beyond.

Paul Manning, President and Chief Executive Officer of Sensient Technologies Corporation, said he has never known a “steady food industry.” Mr. Manning joined the company in 2009 as General Manager of the Company’s Food Colors business in North America and as the economic recession was taking hold. He ascended to the position of President and CEO in 2014 and now he is managing the color and flavor supplier as the industry’s product development focus has shifted to products perceived as natural, wholesome and that feature a clean label.

Enhanced water is a refreshing alternative to sugary drinks—many are low-calorie with a hint, or more, of flavor, and oftentimes with added vitamins or other nutrients. There are several angles of appeal to enhanced waters. The 2014 Food & Health Survey from the International Food Information Council (IFIC) Foundation, Washington, D.C., showed 79 percent of Americans are making an effort to cut calories by drinking water or low- and no-calorie beverages. The survey also showed consumers are paying attention to other ingredients like caffeine, preservatives, added sugars, aspartame and high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS). Research from Nestlé Waters North America and published by Zenith International showed 51 percent of consumers choose non-flavored bottled water in favor of carbonated soft drinks (CSDs), while 12 percent opt for sweetened or enhanced water.

Ready-to-drink (RTD) teas and coffees are growing in both the retail and convenience store spaces. Tea brands have an opportunity to incorporate botanical ingredients to offer consumers an exotic flavor experience while boosting nutrition. And coffee brands have an opportunity with cold-brew, as it may very well be the craft beer of coffee. What's really brewing, however, are new flavor fusions. But the question remains, are consumers willing to venture out and try new flavor combinations, or are RTD teas and coffees limited to the basics like chocolate coffee and herbal tea?